New Wine in New Bottles

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Abstract

Dr. King outlines a sermon he preached at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery on October 17, 1954. His text is Matthew 9:17. He compares new ideas to new wine, stating that an idea cannot progress if people are not ready to accept it; this is what it means for an idea to be before its time. New ideas require new structures to contain them. The same is true in our personal lives when we resolve to rid ourselves of bad habits.

Transcript

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[Inserted text in margin: New Wine In New Bottles]
"Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and doth are preserved." - Matt[hew] 9:17
Introduction: Jesus came in the world conscious that he was bringing something essentially new. The long caravan of humanity had been moving in and direction for centuries, now it was to stop and change its course. Wherein it had been moving toward the city of [MS:illegible], it was now to move toward the city of Grace. Wherein it had been moving toward an earthly kingdom of God political in scope, it was now to move toward a spiritual kingdom which is both "now" and "not yet." It was the recognition of this newness which furnished the [MS:illegible] which Christ is using in our text. [Crossed out: MS: illegible] [Inserted text: above 'he': As] he thinks his own new ideas, He is compelled to think also how it will adapt itself to the old ways and thoughts and habits which it finds to put this new life into the old patterns of thinking was like putting fresh flowing wine in a dry and rotten bottle. It is inevitable that the bottle will break and the wine will run out. The old will not hold the new.
It is not necessary to go into the full application of Christ [Crossed out: MS: illegible] figure. By now we can see the central idea which it imports: [Underlined: that what is new and strong and creative needs something new and strong to hold it.]
I. Note have the truth of this text can be applied to historical events. There have
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[Inserted in margin: Asche thinks his own new ideas, he was compelled to think also how they would adapt themselves to the old way thoughts and habits which they forced. To put this new life into the old patterns [Underlined: was like putting fresh flowing wine.] It is inevitable that the bottle will break and the wine will run out.]
been times in history when [Crossed out: MS: illegible] new and creative ideas appeared on the scene, but they ended up unaccepted because the very historical atmosphere at that time was not sufficiently new and strong to contain them. This is the meaning of the statement that a man is ahead of his times. It after happens that an individual comes forth with a new dynamic ideas, only to find that it [Inserted text: above it 'because': is temporally defeated] [Crossed out: MS: illegible] because it can only find abode in an old worm out bottle.
[Brackets: use ill of Wilson and League of Nations. [MS:illegible] vision of one World Wallace vision of Racial equality]
On the other hand there are times when history is ready to accept a new event. This was the case in the event of the coming of Jesus. That is [MS:illegible] it can be said that he came at the fullness of time. The atmosphere of time and history had been so impregnated with a newness and fullness that the new event of God's revelation that appeared in his person was destined to succeed. The new event which appeared in the coming of Jesus was so world shaking because it was contained in a new bottle of historical receptivity. Time and history were ready for his coming. (ill Luther's reformation, Lincoln's ending of slavery)
II. This text has not only meaning for history Note how the truth of this text applies to our personal lives. We often attempt to get rid of bad habits. Hen is a made who has a knew and fresh desire to stop drinking, to be more honest etc, but in a few days he is doing the same thing. The real problem his in the fact that this new fresh resolution is
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not coupled with a change in one general or overall structure of life. He has a new and fresh desire to change one segment of his life, but this new desire is placed in the same old worn out general structure.
1. Deal with our concern for internationalism
2. Give example of people [Crossed out: MS: illegible] coming to Church So revivals. They bring a new emotional determination to an old mental framework. We must teach people that when they get new wine to get a bottle strong and new enough to contain it.
III. Within this text is the ultimate meaning of Jesus answer to Nicodemious. The part of the new moving that comes as a results of salvation, you've got to born anew. You must be born all over.
Third Sunday Preached at Dexter [Avenue Baptist Church] Oct[ober] 17, 1954
Why is it that we find it difficult to follow resolutions?
1. We concentrate on changing this [Crossed out: MS: illegible] bad habit, forgetting that this one bad habit infiltrates the whole personality, and to change this habit means changing the whole habit structure, the whole general make up. The fresh new desire for changing is poured back into the same old general framework.
2. We often accept a thing intellectually, but not emotionally. The new intellectual change must be poured into an [Crossed out: MS: illegible] old rather emotional make up. (White students)
3. We often accept a thing emotionally, but
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not intellectually. (Revivals)
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[Inserted in margin: "New Wine in New Bottles"
436/4 [Circled: DNR]
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[Underlined: NWNB] Preached at Dexter [Avenue Baptist Church] Oct[ober] 17, 1954
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[Inserted in the margin: "New Wine in New Bottles"